Work-Life Balance of Women Medical Professionals in the Healthcare Sector-A Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

Purpose: Healthcare employees frequently put their personal needs aside for their professions, making it a challenge to maintain a healthy Work-Life Balance (WLB), particularly for women. WLB is a delicate balancing act between the importance and priorities of one's personal and professional paths, which are closely interwoven in every aspect. The Healthcare sector is rapidly expanding with female doctors and nurses accounting for a large portion of the workforce. Their job entails a variety of issues which include night shifts, prolonged shifts, fewer breaks, and high work pressure. When there is a positive organizational culture and supportive environment at work and home, female medical professionals will be able to offer excellent medical care, be more efficient, and enhance the quality of patient care. Hence it is necessary to identify various factors affecting the personal and professional life of female medical professionals and discuss ways to improve their WLB. Methodology: A systematic review was carried out on the existing literature of WLB of Female Doctors and Nurses using the keywords Work-Life Balance, Hospital, Female Doctors, Female Nurses in three search engines: PubMed, Google Scholars, and Academia. The eligible articles were screened using exclusion criteria before being analyzed for the conceptual framework of the study. Findings/Result: The review identified personal and professional factors affecting the WLB of Female Doctors and Nurses. The study also discovered various research gaps in the domain of WLB and offered several recommendations to help healthcare personnel improve their WLB. Originality/Value: The systematic research yielded a clear picture of the WLB in the healthcare industry. The study also discovered a link between female healthcare workers' WLB and personal and professional issues, as well as various ways for enhancing their WLB. Implementing these methods in the healthcare industry can help medical practitioners become more efficient and successful, allowing them to provide the highest suitable care to their patients. Paper Type: Systematic Review Paper.